Description
A colorful summer bean salad made with black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, cannellini or navy beans, crisp vegetables, banana peppers, fresh herbs, and a tangy red wine vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups diced bell peppers, red, yellow, or orange
- ¼ cup diced banana peppers or pepperoncini
- ½ cup black olives, halved (or use Kalamata olives for a saltier, brinier flavor)
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For the Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1–2 tablespoons sugar, to taste
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Fresh black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Drain all four cans of beans in a large colander. Rinse well under cold water until the bubbles disappear. Remove any broken or mushy beans, then shake off as much water as possible.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, onion powder, celery salt, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is slightly thickened and emulsified.
- Add the rinsed beans, bell peppers, banana peppers, olives, red onion, and tomatoes to the bowl. Toss gently to coat.
- Add the parsley and cilantro, then toss again carefully so the beans do not break apart.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 1–2 hours, before serving.
- Stir gently before serving and adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes
- Rinse and drain the beans well so the dressing does not get watered down.
- For the freshest texture, add the tomatoes and herbs closer to serving if making the salad a full day ahead.
- Banana peppers add a mild tangy bite; pepperoncini can be used for a slightly sharper flavor.
- If using Kalamata olives, taste the salad before adding extra salt. They are saltier than black olives and can make the dressing taste sharper.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Chill Time: 1 hr
- Cook Time: 0 min
